I was never realised before that i will have a chance to go to the place to so uncrowded of Indonesian tourist. The place which have a spectacular sea creatures, where smile is the best way to greet, where we live surrounding by peace. I’m sure this is the second most beauty islands after Maldives in the world, at least after traveled in Java, part of Sumatra, Bali, and Borneo -this is the place where i can wring the soft sand.

I don’t think we not having a guts or money to build some. We probably can do it also since we owned the paradise and an expert of sustainable tourism. Don’t we want to have an integrated tourism that will raise income to local through local craft, eco-trip, or resort? Tourism should be one of the impactful weapon for this country to increase the economy. But then, government still think the natural resources is not for tourism (which can keep other natural resources stay), it’s for exploration -digging, mining, massive palm oil plantation. We almost sell everything that we have!

I think Indonesia needs political will from government to change the mindset and perspective not only sale natural resource but also sustainability resources. What do you think?

One day, i’m feel so bored. Then i ask my closest person and his friend to go to beach. But that day was the special one, it’s Lampuuk nor Lhok Nga. It’s a place where can hanging out privately with friends, laying down on grass, looking up the tree and sky.

Humans are lived in land, therefore they don’t care much about ocean. In some places, they care of ocean because they have to or they will not survive in the future.

In many cases of Indonesia natural resources, most of them are talking about what’s above and inside land -either to protect or destroy. Only minority will talk about ocean, specifically about protecting them. Remember earth are divide by land (30%) and ocean (70%), while the protected area of land is 12% the protected area of ocean is only 1%.

Please note, protect doesn’t mean fetter – humans can still take the resources in appropriate way and rules.

Hence, from that minority, most of them are talking about ‘how beauty is our ocean, let’s go visit island ____ (fill the blank with whatever the place you want to)’! i know, i know we have beauty ocean and rich creatures inside but can we take another topic?

Based on Ministry of Marine and Fisheries data, Indonesia have 18.30613.466 islands and 95.181km coastline, the fourth big coastline area in the world. About 60% people lived in coastline area and 42% of it are miserable. The question is, how can people who lived closed to natural resources categorised as miserable/poor?

Indonesian people still eat fish everyday, don’t they? Every market selling fish right? Then why fisherman still laborious for send their kids to school and got blame by selling the shark, mantas, or other endangered species which they don’t have any knowledge about that.

Although we cannot denying high demand for endangered species cause high revenue to fisherman, avoiding fishing rules they catch endangered species for more money on pocket. In this case, conflict between ensuring their future or today income happened.

Did i told you the story when police arrest bomber fisherman between Simeulue and Banyaks island then what the fisherman said? “We already made this bomb, if we cannot bomb this area where else we should put it on? In your office?”

Talking with coastline people always take times and hard effort. They will sell every creatures which have a price, whatever it is because they need money rather than knowledge! Beside, only minority who cares about protecting the ocean while the rest only love to share “how beauty this island”

About 20-30 years previously in Aceh, there’s 6 species from 7 species sea turtle in the world choose their comfortable area to spawn – it’s lay down along Aceh West Coast. Each year, every night, no season – the turtle coming down.

We see that as something normal, seeing turtle spawn just like seeing chicken spawn – never ending spawning.

When years 2000 come up, apparently sea turtle eggs decrease, fisherman or who-ever-wants-the-eggs not obviously see that as a danger – they only feel bad of the turtle because not longer give them supply. An example coming from ‘pulau dua’ in South Aceh; a small two island who produce a lot of sea turtle eggs everyday for almost 30years, but today.. no sea turtle anymore.

People questioning why we should save that turtle? What’s the meaning of saving the creatures that’s not giving affect to us if they’r die? Why to save Bangkaru?

Since 6 from 7 species in world coming to Aceh, we need to keep that because first, it’s not happen all around the world. Second, the other area of Aceh west coast now not having sea turtle every night – it’s seasonal. Third, we need turtle to eat jelly fish, so the population of jelly fish stable. Fourth, we need sea turtle poop for mucking reefs – to keep reef fish staying there.

What happen in South Aceh now, specifically in fisherman village – they need to stay in ocean a weeks, where in 10-20 years previously they only need to go to pulau dua to catch big fish.

Bangkaru, as the one and only establish marine conservation area in Sumatra today face a problem. Since they have plentiful sea turtle eggs, it’s makes em ‘delicious’ to poach. People starving of sea turtle eggs trading (IDR 3k-5k for small eggs and IDR 5k-7k for big one), people need money, people doesn’t recognise 5k today means 50.000k 10years later. They see Bangkaru as pot of gold.

Well, however wonderful something, if it’s in around us, we see that as something normal. We don’t even recognise it until it’s gone.